Samoa Observer, 11th August 2018
Four Pacific Island nations have agreed to pool resources to create a $1.5 billion climate change fund which states can access to build their own infrastructure.
Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (P.I.F.) secretary general, Dame Meg Taylor, said the proposed climate change fund was discussed during the Small Island States (S.I.S.) conference early in the week.
She said the establishment of the fund is important as it is an initiative for the Pacific Islands by the Pacific Islands.
“We have different framework from a policy side that leaders did want to have to set up, like the framework of resilient development in the Pacific.
“In this meeting and the work the Secretariat is doing with very small task force of people from Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji and New Zealand on the Pacific Resilience facility, which has been endorsed by the Economic Ministers.
“That would be to set up a fund in the region to retrofit our own infrastructure, so that we are prepared for disaster instead of waiting for it to happen and then asking for help after,” said Dame Meg.